Combustion apparatus.



A. RECTOR.

COMBUSTION APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED P126. 1910. RENEWED MAY 19.1915.

Patented J mm 29, 1915.

ALCORN BECTOB, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HECTOR GAS LAMP COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COMBUSTION APPARATUS.

Kidd/783.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 26, 1910, Serial No. 583,774. Renewed May 19, 1915. serial No. 29,225.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Anooan Rno'roR, citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, temporarily residing in the city of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combustion Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an apparatus for combustion of any appropriate gas or gasifying fuel adapted to be burned by the present method, its object being to secure improved combustion with the production of a maximum of heat and a minimum waste of unconsumed carbonaceous products.

In burning natural combustible gas, which, because of its high hydrogen content, requires more air than artificial gas to. eifect combustion, tall and expensive chimneys are required, involving plant accessories that are constructed, operated and maintained at great expense, and they are so ineiiicient that large quantities of unconsumed carbonaceous material issue as waste from the chimneys, to the detriment of health or convenience and to the injury of buildings, etc.

While my invention is of particular applicability in removing the objections noted in connection with natural gas, my apparatus may be well employed in the burning of any combustible gas.-

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating the principle of my invention and the best mode now known to me of applying that principle, Figure 1 is mainly a diagrammatic view of apparatus useful in practising my invention. This view shows one form of novel apparatus. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, of a modified form of apparatus. Fig. 3 is an end view of what is shown in Fig. 1. r

In the drawing (Fig. 1), I show a novel form of air and gas supply apparatus, consisting of a central. air tube 1 formed at its butt 'end with a cross-piece that is formed with a threaded hole for reception of a threaded projection 3 of the thereto-fixed cover plate 4, adjustment of which serves to regulate (if any such regulation is required) the volume of air admitted to the air tube. This air tube is inclosed by a tube 5 of larger diameter and provided with,

an end wall 6, through a central hole in which the air tube is passed and there fixed. An annular gas space 7 is thereby formed around the air tube, the two tubes being preferably concentric. End wall 6 is perforated at 8 for admission of atmospheric air into space 7 wherein it is mixed with a gas that is supplied to mixing chamber 7 through gas pipe 9 which communicates With chamber 7, preferably near the butt end thereof, so as to secure as thorough mixing as possible of the gas and air before such mixture reaches the fire tip. A Bunsen burner having a central air passage is thus obtained. The tip portion of the described apparatus communicates with the chamber of a casing 10 that is intended to represent any kind of structure,heater, stove, radiator, furnace, etc., etc. The chamber is also connected, preferably by an exhaust conduit 11, with a suction fan casing (or any equivalent) 12, operable in any suitable manner first to suck air in at the butt end of the air tube simultaneously with the mixing of the air and gas in gas space 7 second to com el a central air draft to travel at speed, un er power control that is regulable at will, through the tubular volume of the mixture but out of contact with the mixture until the central air body and tubular mixture intermingle to a certain extent at the tip of the supply apparatus; third to accelerate andintensify combustion of the mixture when it is ignited at the tip of the outer tube;

. and fourth to carry off the products of combustion from within the casing and to remove them from the immediate vicinity of the flame rapidly and efficiently.

Because of the central swiftly moving or properly high-speed, power-controlled and regulable air draft, very perfect combustion is obtained. If desired, the air inlets or perforations 8 may be closed by the damper 13, provided with holes 13*, so as to cut off access of air to mixing chamber 7 in which event unmixed gas from pipe 9 may flow into chamber 7 and thence to the tip of the outer tube, for ignition and combustion. In that event, the Bunsen burner function of the supply apparatus is eliminated. Of course damper 13 and cover-plate 4 may be each adjusted to regulate and vary the admission of air. Pipe 9 is shown with a regulating valve 14:.

M indicates a motor for driving the fan.

This apparatus is peculiarly advantageous in burning, natural gas in that it is readily regulated to vary the volume and relative quantities of air admitted tothe tubes; and in using this apparatus, the annular flame obtained on ignition of the gas at the tip of the outer tube is interiorly ex osed to a high-speed air current or centra draft, the speed depending on the strength of the suction.

In Fig. 2, the supply apparatus is so constructed as to reverse the relative location of the power-controlled air draft and the volume of combustible gas. In this form, the volume of combustible gas is conducted in what may be called rod form, considered as a physical object, while the unmixed air is conducted in tubular form exteriorly of the central gas volume. In this form of construction the air tube is indicated by 20, the interior gas tube by 21 and the air inlet of the Bunsen burner by 22. It is to be noted that this inlet is exterior. The gatecontrolled perforations in the end wall 6 of the air tube are indicated by 23, the gas supply pipe of the Bunsen burner tube by 24, and its cut-oflt' valve by 25.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the casing or shell indicating any form of useful construction is shown with a doorw so that access may be had to the gas jet to light it. Any other suitable ignition device or means may, of course, be used. Casing 10 may be made of any suitable material, size or shape, whether non-translucent or non-transparent, or translucent or transparent. The contour, size and material of which the apparatus is made will depend entirely upon the uses to which the apparatus is to be put. While atmospheric air will be ordinarily sucked into union with the combustible fuel, yet, of course, any combustion-supporting gas, such as oxygen, for example, may be used in any available form in lieu of the atmospheric air or in lieu of air at other than atmospheric pressure; and any suitable fuel may be used. The casing is substantially closed against the admission of any air secondary or additional to that required for the purpose of combustion.

In all forms of the invention, as shown, the combustion chamber is provided with a door or the like m, for ignition purposes; but obviously any suitable kind of ignition device may be used.

Another advantage of this structure is that it makes it possible to direct, with blowpipe effect, the flames directly at and in contact with heating surfaces, particularly efficient in heaters, water boilers and many industrial uses.

I do not herein claim the method or process involved, as that forms the subjectmatter of my application Serial No. 583,773, filed September 26, 1910. In this embodi- The suction fan casing 12 attached to.

exhaust pipe 11 prevents entrance of back drafts through the fan easing into the combustion chamber when the apparatus is in operation, and serves to maintain the partially vacuumized condition of the combustion chamber. In all the forms of apparatus shown, the gas or liquid may be mixed with air before the mixture reaches the combustion point or flame.

It will be noted that in all the forms of apparatus shown, the artificial suction appa-- ratus creates and maintains a substantial vacuum in the combustion chamber and is a substantially integral part of the apparatus as a whole; and that the connection with the atmosphere through the combustion chamber is relatively small or restricted, so that the fan in its operation greatly rarefies the content of the combustion chamber durin the combustion. Moreover, the construction is such, and intended to be such, that there can be no invasion of air in large masses or of cold air into the combustion chamber, which is closed during operation, except where the mixed air and gas and another volume of air are introduced into the combustion chamber; and except where the relatively small exhaust pipe 11 extends to the casing of the suction fan. It is also observable that all the air that is admitted into the apparatus is rarefied by the action of the suction apparatus, which also rarefies the products of combustion, until the latter have passed the fan. The air is so regulable in respect to its intake that no more air than is required for purposes of combustion is wisely taken in, and therefore, there is no passing of unconsumed gas and air past the exhaust fan, as is the case in many other forms of a paratusand under many other methods 0? combustion. All air not required for combustion should be carefully excluded from the present apparatus, which is made nicely regulable at the air intake to accomplish this important result. .In other words, prevention of back-drafts, rarefaction of the mixed gas and air and of the air taken into the apparatus, rarefaction of the combustible mixture at the place of combustion, and rarefaction of the products of combustion while they remain in the apparatus, and the provision for exclusion of all air not required for mere purposes of combustion, are material points of the present invention, and this invention are brought for'the-first time into such a unitary and practical form that approximately perfect nected thereto for positively producing and 'maintaining a partial vacuum within the 'casin'g,,mean's' for simultaneously drawing into the casing and to a place ofcombustion P therein a volume ofcombustible fuel and a volume of combustion supporting gas,- means for separating theone from the other up to a place of-combustion, means forremoving the products of combustion from within the casing through the vacuum producer.

2. The-combination with-a casing closed v chamber, said vacuum producing and mainagainst secondary air-invasion, means connected thereto for positively producing and maintaining a. artial vacuum within the casing, means or simultaneously drawing into the casingand to a lace of combustion therein a volume of com with air.-'

3. The combination of a fuel supply tube having an air in-take'with a-tube for supplying combustion supporting gas, said tubes having their inner ends adjacent the one tov the other and adapted to deliver their contents to a combustion chamber, means for, producing and. maintaining a partial vacuum 1nthe combustion chamber, anair:

tight-conduit leading from the vacuum prov ducing means'to the combustion chamber.

V 4. In a combustion apparatus, substantially air-tight combust on chamber, conduits leading theretofor conveying aregulable mixture of air and gas and a regulable supply of combustion supporting gas, a 'posltively opera-ted vacuumcreating and maintaining apparatus,an-air-tight conduit leading from the said vacuum apparatus to the combustion'chamber,

5. In combination with a closed combustion chamber, means for. supplying a volume of combustible fuelj andja volume of combustion-supporting gas "thereto, means for 'mixing the two volumes to ether at the point of combustion within t e combustion chamber, a'vacuum'produci'ng and'main- 5a the combustion chamber, means for forcibly drawing the airandcombustible fuel into taining apparatus hermetically connected to ustible-fuel-mixed V z tion chamber, a" closedconduitin communitit the combustion chamber and for forcibly withdrawing the products of combustion from the combustion chamber through the vacuum producing apparatus.

6. Ina combustion apparatus, a closed combustion chamber havmg at one side I thereof a closed conduit for supplying the volume of combustible gas and a regulable volume of. air to the'combustion chamber and upon another side thereof a closed conduit'ileadi'ng to a vacuum producing and maintaining apparatus'and means for forcisupply of a combustible fuel, a vacuum pro- .ducmg and maintaining device, a closed conduit leading therefrom to the combustion taining device being also 0 erable for supplying the fuel to the com ustion chamber and for'withdrawi'ng. the products of com bustion from the said chamber.

I 8..-In a combustion apparatus, a combuscation therewith for-the supply of a' com- .bustible fuel, a vacuum producing and main-.

tainin'gdevice, a' closed conduit. connected therewith to the combustion chamber, the 5 said vacuum producing and maintaining de vice bein operable to forcibly draw air into 'the chain er for mixture with thefuel and toforcibly withdraw the products of com-' 'bustion from the chamber.

9." In a combustion apparatus, the combination of a vacuum producing and maintaining device with a combustion chamber, vmeans for the admission ofga s and air thereto,means for forcibly drawing the air necessary for combustion into said chamber through said admission means.

10. In a combustion apparatus, the com-- bination of a; combustion chamber substantially closed from the atmos here, means for creating an artificial and or'cible draft to supply gas an'dair sufiicient for combustion to the combustion chamber.

. In testimony whereof Irhaveafixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

,. LooRN Rno'ron.

f'Witnesses:

'WALTER Yarns,

CHAs. F. RANDOLPH. 

